Students at some Connecticut colleges will have to pay more to pursue their dream of getting a degree beginning next year.

The state Board of Regents for Higher Education has voted to increase tuition and fees at four state universities and 12 community colleges by more than 3 percent in the 2012-2013 school year. The vote will mean that some students attending these schools will pay nearly $700 more per year to go to college.

According to the Hartford Courant, in-state residents commuting to attend one of the four state universities will face an increase of 3.8 percent. That means they will pay an additional $315 to total $8,556. In-state residential students at these universities will pay an additional $676, an increase of 3.7 percent.

The state universities include Central Connecticut State University, Eastern Connecticut State University, Western Connecticut State University and Southern Connecticut State University.

Tuition at the state's 12 community colleges will increase 3.1 percent next year. In total, students attending these schools will pay an additional $108, bringing their total bill to $3,598 per year.

Officials say the price increases are necessary given the difficult economic times.

Despite the increases, Board of Regents member Gary F. Holloway told the Hartford Courant that the community colleges are facing a projected $6.5 million budget shortfall for the 2012-2013 school year. The universities projected shortfall is expected to be about $2.5 million.

"[The board tried to keep the increases] as modest as possible for our students," Holloway told the newspaper. "We want to try to make education as affordable as possible."

The Connecticut State University System reports that about 96,000 students attend these schools.

While higher tuition costs may be difficult for some to stomach, the news source reports that Michael Meotti, executive vice president for the regents, says that he expects that comparable state universities elsewhere will raise tuition and fees for next year by as much as 7 percent.

For some, the additional cost will make paying for a college education more difficult, or even impossible. Luckily, mothers who are pursuing a degree at these and other colleges can rely on grants for parents, scholarships for mothers and single mother scholarships to help make their education more affordable.

In addition to the tuition increases, the board also voted to put a hiring freeze into effect for administrative positions at these state-funded higher learning institutions.